FIRST RULE TO VISIT PALERMO: go out and lost yourself… go to Capo Market, to Ballarò, to Vucciria and go around, without map or other instructions… I belief it’s the best way to visit Palermo!
It’s Sandro here and I selected some places of Palermo that I love… here you are my personal guide:
FIRST DAY – close to Politeama Square
- Piazza Politeama (the maps call it Piazza Ruggero Settimo or Piazza Castelnuovo) and Politeama Theathre
- La Chiesa di San Francesco di Paola (3 mins from the Politeama)
- Villa Filippina (30 sec on feet)
- Villino Favaloro (3 mins from Politeama)
- Il teatro Massimo (Piazza Verdi) (4 min on feet)
- via Libertà and via Ruggero Settimo’s shops (2 min on feet)
Where drink or eat during this journey:
- Gran Caffè Spinnato – 3 min on feet – bar and dessert/cakes – Via P.pe di Belmonte (it’s also marvellous before dinner, about 18.30 because very oftne there is a guy that plays the pianos during the aperitivos)
- Tenda rossa (medium/low budget) – 3 min on feet – little restaurant – Via Marconi 44
- Champagneria and other bar/pubs of Piazza Spinuzza/Piazza Olivella – 5 min on feet (low budget mostly for young guys) – bar and aperitivo and street food – Piazza Spinuzza and Piazza Olivella
- Ciuri ciuri (medium budget) to try our traditional street food – Via Principe di Belmonte 119
- – Wine Butticè (medium budget) – 30 sec walk – wine bar and restaurant – Piazza San Francesco di Paola 12 – they have everything about wines and especially Sicilian wines!
SECOND DAY (move closer to historical center, around the Cathedral)
- Il mercato del Capo (4 minutes on feet from the Politeama) ), is one of the most important and historical markets of the city, Via Volturno; inside the market, in the main street, there is a very nice church called “Immacolata Concezione”
- Cattedrale, the Dome of Palermo (20 minutes on feet from the entrance of the market)
- Cappella Palatina e Palazzo dei Normanni (3 min on feet from the Cathedral) (it’s also the royal palace)
- Cappuccini Catacomb (20 min from the Royal Palace)
- Corso Vittorio Emanuele, Piazza Bologna e 4 Canti (from the Cathedral, we call this “Cassaro”)
- 4 canti and Chiesa di San Giuseppe dei Teatini (10 min from the Cathedral)
- Martorana and Piazza della Vergogna (15 min from the Cathedral)
Where drink & eat during this journey:
- Bar Santoro – Piazza Indipendenza 25 – (medium budget)
- Trattoria Sopra le Mura – Mercato del Capo (medium budget)
- Ferro – Piazza S. Onofrio 42 (high budget) – (10 min on feet) – little restautant Pizzeria Bellini – Piazza Bellini 6 (low budget) – (15 min on feet) – pizzeria
- Bobbuccio – sicilian street food – “arancine, pizzette, calzoni” (very simple low budget) – 4 minutes on feet) – Via Porta Carini 67 (in front of the entrance of the Market “Capo”) (sometime they’re a bit rude with tourist)
- Ai Cascinari – Via D’ossuna 45 – 10 min on feet – ristorante – medium budget – you have to book (near the Catacomb of Cappuccini) it could be nice for lunch but if you go during the night take a taxi because that area is not the best one
- Pizzeria Bellini – Piazza Bellini 6 (medium budget) – (20 minutes walk) – pizzeria in my favourite square
- Chiostro di Santa Carina (there’s also a small bistrot inside where you can have great cannoli and cassata!)
THIRD DAY (northest part of the city, around via Roma and Vucciria)
- Il teatro Biondo (Via Roma) and the mercato della Vucciria
- Galleria d’Arte Moderna – Ex Convento S. Anna – Piazza Sant’Anna
- Museo Archeologico Regionale –Via Bara all’Olivella 24
- Palazzo Branciforte – a marvellous building restored by the very famous architect Gae Aulenti with a marvellous collection of archeological things – there i salso a very good restaurant inside, Via Bara all’Olivella 2
- Piazza Marina and Palazzo Steri
- International Museum of Marionette (String operated puppets) , Piazza Antonio Pasqualino, 5
- and Giardino a Mare/Mura delle Cattive/Foro Italico
- Stanze al genio (20 min on feet from Politeama) – Via Giuseppe Garibaldi 11 (a marvelous museum of ceramics)
- Lo Spasimo (Piazza Kalsa) (40 min on feet) is an ancient church without cover cause the second world war – look also Oratorio dei Bianchi
- Chiesa di San Giorgio dei Genovesi – Via Squarcialupo
Where drink & eat during this journey:
- Champagneria and other pubs and bars Piazza Spinuzza/Piazza Olivella – (low budget especially for young guys) – bar and aperitivo and street food – Piazza Spinuzza
- Palazzo Branciforte – Via Bara all’Olivella 2
- Bar Touring – ARANCINA BOMBA – STREET FOOD – Via Lincoln 15
- Angelo azzurro e altri locali della Vucciria (very low budget) – to have a beer or to try the typical street food (sometime you can also dance in the middle of the square during nightime) (be carefull to pickpockets)
- Bisso – Via Maqueda 172 – typical food
FOURTH DAY: Mondello (about 8 km from Palermo)
(you can take the bus n. 544 from Palermo to Mondello; please verify the number of the bus because they change very often)
Good Bar: Caflish (Mondello Valdesi) or Renato Bar or Antico Chiosco (in Mondello Paese)
Good restaurant:
- Il gabbiano, medium budget, Via Piano di Gallo, 1 (on the sea)
- Sympathy (in Mondello Paese)(high budget), Via Piano Gallo 18 (near the sea)
- Bye Bye Blues (star Michelin) Via del Garofalo, 23(mondello) (medium/hugh budget)
- Charleston (near the sea, historical) Viale Regina Elena, 37 / 39 (hugh budget)
- Marvelous ice cream: “Latte PA” viale regina elena 69 (try “nutella ice cream” if you like chocolate and absolutely the frash cream on the top)
- Good beach: Mida (with bar, sunbed, showers and for an aperitivo at the sunset
FIFTH DAY: MONREALE (about 30 min from Palermo)
(you can take the bus 389 – It arrives in Monreale climbing the entire Corso Calatafimi that is the historical way to get there; it runs each 20 mins; please verify the number of the bus because they change very often)
Very good pizza: Pizzeria Totò Via Chiasso Ciro Menotti 6 (monreale)
Nice restaurant: Bricco e Bacco Via D’acquisto Benedetto, 13 (Monreale) (medium budget)
There is a stupendous Dome in Monreale (the inside is much better than the Cathedral of Palermo), the ancient Chiostro and a marvellous view of Palermo from the mountain
PALERMO – some of my favorite place to eat and drink :
- Wine Butticè (medium budget) – 30-sec walk – wine bar and restaurant – Piazza San Francesco di Paola 12 – if you go, tell to the owner, “Salvo” that you’re my friend and my client; he is a very good friend of mine and he knows everything about wines and especially Sicilian wines!
- Sesto Canto (medium/high budget) – 30 sec walk – wine bar and restaurant – Via Sant’Oliva 26
- Bobbuccio – sicilian street food – “arancine, pizzette, calzoni” (very low budget) – 4 minutes on feet) – Via Porta Carini 67 (in front of the entrance of the Market “Capo”) (it’s not a nice place but it’s open for a big part of the day and night) (sometime they’re a bit rude with tourist)
- Gran Caffè Spinnato – 3 min walk – bar and patisserie – Via P.pe Belmonte (very nice to have breakfast)
- Osteria Lo Bianco (low/medium budget) – 5 min on feet – traditional restaurant – Via E. Amari 104 (sometime they’re a bit rude with tourist)
- Ristorante le Mura di Miceli Vito, Via Emerico Amari 59 medium budget
- Ristorante “Al Viale” (Lounge bar – pizza – restaurant) with a nice “veranda” – Via Archimede 189 – medium/high budget
- Champagneria and other local Spinuzza Square – (low budget) – and aperitif bars – Square Spinuzza – this square is very very crowded of people from 7pm until 2 in the morning
- Ferro – S. Onofrio 42 (high budget) – – restaurant
- Osteria dei cavalieri di Malta (high budget) – Vicolo Pantelleria 24
- Gagini – via Cassari 35 (high budget) – restaurant
- Pizzeria Bellini – Piazza Bellini 6 (medium budget) – pizzeria in my favourite square
- Taverna Azzurra and other local Vucciria (very low budget) – Vucciria Square – be careful to your pocket but visit this area
- Ai Cascinari – Via D’ossuna 45 – 10 min on feet – ristorante – medium budget – you have to book (near the Catacomb of Cappuccini) it could be nice for lunch but if you go during the night take a taxi because that area is not the best one
- Antica Focacceria San Francesco – (medium budget) – restaurant Via Alessandro Paternostro / Piazza San Francesco d’Assisi – (you have to visit this shop because the building is very nice but tkae just a snack because it’s a touristic place)
- – Kursaal Khalesa – www.kursaalkalhesa.it/ – (high budget) – Restaurant – it’s difficult to find it open so please give a ring before to go!
- – Bar Touring – ARANCINA BOMBA – STREET FOOD – Via Lincoln 15 (very cheap)
GLUTEN FREE LIST – Here the Gluten free map
Pastries and bar – Aromatico – Zero Glutine- Via dell’orsa minore 268 OR Via Trinacria 42 (20 minutes by car from Politeama Square)
Restaurant – Pizzeria – Il genio dei sapori – Via Generale Carlo Alberto dalla Chiesa 7 (10 minutes on feet)
Bakeries and pastries – Le farine dei nostri sacchi – Via Simone Cuccia 38 (20 minutes on feet)
Ristorante – Divini – Via Altofonte 317 (20 minutes by car)
Don rice – Pizzeria – Via Pagano 13 (15 minutes by car)
Icre cream – Al gelatone – Via Autonomia Siciliana (10 minutes by car)
Ice cream – Stancampiano – Via Aquileia (20 minutes by car)
Most important theatres in Palermo
- Massimo – Piazza Verdi – http://www.teatromassimo.it/ (4 minutes walk)
- Politeama – Piazza Ruggero Settimo (2 min walk)
- Montevergini – Via Montevergini – http://www.nuovomontevergini.com/it/index.jsp– 15 minutes walk
- Biondo – Via Roma – http://www.teatrobiondo.it – 10 minutes walk
- Lelio – Marina Square – http://www.teatrolelio.it/ – 30 minutes walk
Shopping in Palermo
- typical cap and tshirts from Sicily – Sicooli, Via Maqueda 358. (if there is the owner, Pietro, tell him you’re my friends!)
- Via Ruggero Settimo (2 minutes walk)
- Via Libertà (2 minutes walk)
- Caps (traditional coppola) – La coppola storta – Via Bara all’olivella 74
- Crafts parfumes – La Profumoteca – Via Ruggero Settimo 74e
- Traditional ceramics – Antiche ceramiche di Caltagirone – Via Cavour 114
- Typical food, condiments, olive oil and etc –RistoCibus – – 5 minutes walk – delicatessen – Via E. Amari
Bike renting:
- Cici Coffee and drinks: Via Malaspina 5, Palermo
- GL servizi – quad, scooter, electric bike – Via F. Crispi 260 – 091 58 14 74
PRIVATE BEACH CLUBS CLOSE TO MONDELLO
- Plait mare, Indirizzo: Lungomare Cristoforo Colombo, 2847, 90142 320 570 5519 (Davide) or 320 42 11 384 (Alessandra) – 10 euro from Monday to Friday and 15 euro Staurday and Sunday (from 9 to 18.30)
- Tuna Beach Addaura – lungomare Cristofore Colombo 3089, 90142 – 338 72 56 095 (10 euro)
- Punto mare country club Telefono: 091 454886
- Solemar palermo -Lungomare Cristoforo Colombo, 2109, 90142 Palermo
OTHER BEACHES AND PLACE FAR FROM PALERMO:
- CEFALù – It’s a very nice city 80km far from Palermo built on a montain with a marvelous Cathedral, a lot of churches and very nice beaches. The trains leave from Palermo start from central station and they take about 1 hour to arrive there – prices and timetable here https://www.lefrecce.it/B2CWeb/search.do?parameter=searchAdvInputViewer&jSessionID=VlRdZL4AoMK4
- SAN VITO LO CAPO – it’s a small city with marvelous sand beaches in the Trapani Province. The bus takes about 2 hours and they start from the central station – prices and timetable here http://www.russoautoservizi.it/percorsi.html
Just for shopping – Sicilian Outlet Village – Dittaino (Enna) – it’s far from Palermo, it’s about 2.30 hours far from our city, it’s a new outlet village where you can buy several Italian brands with very good discount. You could arrive there with a free bus that starts at 10am from Piazza Politeama and leaves you back at 19pm in the same square.
MONREALE (about 30 min from Palermo)
(you can take the bus 389 – It arrives in Monreale climbing the entire Corso Calatafimi which is the historical way to get there; it runs every 20 mins)
Very good pizza: Pizzeria Totò , Via Chiasso Ciro Menotti 6
There is a marvelous Dome in Monreale (the inside is much better than the Cathedral of Palermo), the ancient Chiostro, and an astounding view of Palermo from the mountain.
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